Han Wen Gong Ancestral Hall Travel Guide
Han Yu Governing the Tides in August · Bijia Mountain · Steles of Successive Dynasties
The Hanwen Gong Ancestral Hall is located at the foot of Bijia Mountain on the east bank of the Han River and was built to commemorate Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty. Han Yu was demoted to Chaozhou and stayed there for only eight months, yet during this time he promoted education and eliminated injustices. Since then, the people of Chaozhou changed all the names of their mountains and rivers to the surname Han—this is the only instance in the country where the mountains and rivers adopted a family's surname.
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Destination Details
Han Wengong Shrine is located at the foot of Bijia Mountain on the east bank of the Han River in Chaozhou. It was first built during the Xianping era of the Northern Song Dynasty and is the earliest and best-preserved shrine commemorating Han Yu in China. In the 14th year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang dynasty, Han Yu was demoted to Prefect of Chaozhou for remonstrating against welcoming Buddhist relics. He served only eight months but managed education, slave release, expulsion of crocodiles, and water conservancy projects. After his departure, Chaozhou residents renamed Bijia Mountain as Hanshan and E Creek as Hanjiang
Key highlights
Stele corridor
The most precious items inside the shrine are the steles from various dynasties. From the Song Dynasty Su Shi's 'Chaozhou Han Wengong Temple Stele' to the Ming and Qing reconstruction records, the stele gallery is filled with one after another, regarded as first-hand materials for studying Han Yu and Chaozhou local history. The calligraphy is also noteworthy
Main shrine and statue
The main hall is built along the mountain's terrain, divided into front and rear sections. Inside the hall is a statue of Han Yu, seated and holding a scroll. The architecture uses traditional Chaoshan porcelain roof ridges, with vivid colors that echo the Guangji Bridge across the river. The Yunyuan Pavilion and Shilang Pavilion beside the shrine are commemorative structures added by later generations
Climbing high to gaze upon the river
Behind the shrine, you can climb Bijia Mountain along the stone steps, offering a wide view with the Han River and Guangji Bridge all in view. The stairs are not very steep, taking about forty minutes round trip, making it a great spot to enjoy panoramic views of Chaozhou's ancient city
Suggested traffic flow
- Classics: East bank of Guangji Bridge → Han Wengong Shrine → Stele Corridor → Climb Bijia Mountain → Return to the ancient city, about 1.5 hours
- Together with Guangji Bridge, Paifang Street, and Kaiyuan Temple, it forms a full day in Chaozhou
Practical information
After crossing Guangji Bridge to the east bank, it's a ten-minute walk to arrive, perfectly connected to the bridge for half a day. The shrine has many steps, and it's quite sunny at noon in summer, so it's recommended to schedule in the morning. The stele gallery is densely inscribed; if you want to read closely, you can learn about Han Yu's story of controlling the tide in advance
Routes that include this stop
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